Rising from the Ashes
by spywhisperer
Summary: Post 'the telling", but Sydney never disappeared, and Sloane is now trying to retrieve Sark. This is my first attempt at fanfic, so all comments, especially constructive criticism would be wonderful! I really want to improve, so come tell me how!
1. How it Starts

Author's Note: I figured I should mention that there is more of the Alias cast in this fiction; it's not all based around 'the new spy'. There is a lot of Syd & Vaughn action and other characters later one. It was just easiest to start this fiction this way.  
  
Chapter One - How it starts  
  
I awake to a horrid throbbing in my left temple, I try to move my hand to massage the pain, only to find that it has been secured in handcuffs. I sit in a stark white room, tied to a chair. I close my eyes try to deal with the pain. I shuffle my feet, they too are tied to the chair, it's not rope that holds them there, it's duct tape. The corners of my mouth curl upwards, do they really think duct tape is going to keep me in the chair. I sit back in the chair and quickly give my legs a quick kick, breaking right through the duct tape, my head swirls and I feel sick. I must have lost more blood then I thought.   
  
I lay my head down onto the stainless steel table. The cool metallic surface doesn't do much for the pain, but the spinning in my head slows down. I lay there a few more moments trying to assess all the damage. There is just one major wound to the head, and a few cuts down my left arm.   
  
Now on to the complicated matter, why only duct tape. It took three high-tech gadgets to even get into this building, so I'm not messing with amateurs. Plus. once they caught me in their system they sent fifteen armed guards after me, so they know I'm not an amateur. So why duct tape. I start to look around the room, one door, no windows, no cameras. No cameras that's odd. I shift my weight on to my feet and shimmy upwards sliding my hands up the back of the chair until they finally come over the back of the chair. I take a moment to gain my balance and listen for any noise outside the door. No noise. Something's not right.   
  
I bend forward lowering my hands behind my back bring them as close as I can to my feet. I step backwards over the cuffs so that my hands are now in front of my body. I move towards the door and listen tentatively, still no sound. I reach for the door handle and open the door a crack. I peep through the crack, no guards. My stomach drops, this has to be a trap. I can't stay in this room my whole life though, so I take a deep breath and exit into the hall way. I survey the area, no cameras here either. I move down the hall tiptoeing to the exit sign, I keep looking behind be expecting someone to jump out and shoot, but they don't come.  
  
I make it all the way to the big steal door and push my way through, sunlight floods my eyes. I look around at all the people walking up and down the sidewalks, paying no attention to me. They are all in business attire most talking on their cell phones. I understand what they say with ease. They are speaking English. I look around at the different office buildings trying to figure out where I am. Last that I remember I was still in Tripoli, Libya, this looks like downtown LA. I see a phone booth up ahead. I cross my arms and tilt my head down, trying to hide the handcuffs and the blood. I slip into the phone booth and close the door. I peer around to see if anyone is following me. No one seems to have even noticed me. I reach for the phone and awkwardly hold it between my ear and shoulder. I dial.  
  
A monotone voice answers, "Dispatch."  
  
"Yes, this is officer 1758933. Calling for connection, conformation doctor who."  
  
"One moment." I hear three short rings, this time a voice filled with authority responds, "Officer Adurea?" I don't recognize the voice, they must have transferred me to a different office than the one in London.   
  
"Yes, and who am I speaking with."  
  
"I am Jack Bristow, the head of the LA division of the CIA. Do you know where the main office is here." My head spins, I must me in LA, but how did I get here, how long have I been in custody.   
  
"Yes, but I don't know where I am."   
  
"Our tracking says you are in downtown LA. If you go eight blocks south, and then two east you should be near our office. I'll have an agent waiting for you in the lobby." He hangs up and I'm left with a dial-tone and a million questions. I exit the phone booth and lower my head and cross my arms again and start walking south. I see a bank on the corner. There is a huge sign hanging from it, it reads 'First National Bank' under that it has the time, 2:09 pm; the temperature; 75 degrees Fahrenheit; and the date, September 9th. I've only been gone a day. A flood of relief rushes over me, but is quickly dampened by more questions. Where is Calvin, my partner. I reach the office building and walk inside. The lobby is empty except for a secretary sitting at a desk and a man in a suit. I walk over to the man, "Officer Adurea?" I nod. 


	2. Weiss

Chapter Two - Weiss  
  
It's a boring Thursday. I look out of my office and into Vaughn's, the lights are out. Of coarse they are, he left yesterday with Sydney. They had an emergency ops in Libya.. I look back and notice that the blocks are almost to the top of the screen. I quit trying and let the game end. I kick my feet up on the desk and lean back in my chair. I start to ponder on what I should do tonight, with Vaughn gone the guys night out is cancelled, so all that's left is going home and watching TV, at least I can get caught up on Friends. God I'm pathetic. I rest my head back and almost close my eyes, when I see Jack coming towards my office. I panic and throw my feet off the desk knocking over my clock, and grope for any loose paper to study and look busy. I'm too slow, Jack come scowling in and I know I'm caught.  
  
"If you are not too busy Eric I have a case for you." He throws a folder down in front of me. "She a CIA officer who was stationed in London, trying to track down Sloane. He latest mission had her sent to Libya to a compound believed to be a storage facility. The mission was a disaster." So that's why Vaughn and Sydney left in such a hurry. "We had confirmation that four of the five officers sent there were killed. Their bodies were shipped back to London covered in ash. We believed that she was killed to until she showed up in LA today. I need you to go down to the lobby and bring her up to one of the conference areas. I've got to call London. " With that Jack turned around and started to walk out the door.  
  
"What should I tell her when she starts to ask questions?"   
  
"Nothing. Not yet anyway, we need to confirm that it IS in fact her, " with that Jack disappears. I reach for a file and open it. The first thing I notice is the snap shot. The eyes in the picture are so piercing. I study them for a few more moments, before flipping it up and looking the qualifications,   
  
Name: Zanna Madison Adurea  
  
Sex: Female  
  
Hire Date: May 1997  
  
DOB: February 28, 1975  
  
Height: 5'8''  
  
Weight: 135lbs  
  
Hair: Dark Brown  
  
Eyes: Hazel  
  
Marital Status:Single   
  
Languages:French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, German  
  
Skills: Martial Arts, Firearms, Surveillance, High-Risk Operations, Pursuit & Evasion, and Game Theory  
  
I bite my lower lip, Sloane must have been tipped about their mission for it to have been such a disaster. I get up out of my chair and start to make my way towards the elevator. I can't help but look back at the picture, at her eyes.  
  
I've been in the lobby for about ten minutes, and still no sign of her. I keep reading deeper into her file. I'm amazed by some of the missions she has pulled off, then I get to the page with the information concerning the Libya mission. I just skim the beginning, blah, blah, blah, meant to retrieve data off a computer. Then my eyes travel to the large red letters, Mission Failed. I read under it, five casualties but that has been scathed out. I hear the door open and look up. In walks a business woman, I look back down. Wait. I look back up she walks with her arms crossed, and upon further inspection I see silver flashing behind her arms. Her eyes dart around the lobby and she heads straight towards me. "Officer Adurea?" I ask. She looks up and nods. I notice the dried blood on her cheek, she seems so vulnerable, I reach out my hand. She steps back. Stupid me, of coarse she doesn't need you babying her right now. "Sorry" I mutter. I can't stop looking into her eyes, they are just as enticing as in the picture. I reach out my hand again, but this time in a professional matter. "I'm Eric Weiss." She uncrosses her arms and right away I notice the handcuffs. She awkwardly shakes my hand.  
  
"Nice to meet you, I'm Officer Adurea." Well I guess she's not as into me as I am her.  
  
"Umm... if you would follow me, Officer Bristow is waiting upstairs for us. I'm sure he can Houdini you out of those cuffs." She doesn't even smile at my joke. My palms are getting sweaty, I wipe them on my jacket. She follows me to the elevator not saying a single word. As we ride up the elevator I try to break the silence, "So... how do you like LA?" She looks at me and arches an eyebrow and then continues to stare straight forward. Shut up Eric, you're making matters worse. Now she going to think you are an insensitive jerk. I decide not to try for small talk again. The elevator seems to take an eternity, but finally we reach the floor. I stand in the elevator doorway and jester with my hand to let her out. She steps out of the elevator and waits again for me to lead. We walk down the hallway past all the offices we hang a right and I open the doors to the conference room. I hold the door for her and she enters, and I follow. In the room Jack and Dixon are seated at the long table. Jack on the end, and Dixon to his right. She walks around and sits on Jacks left. I sit next to Dixon, I don't need to make any more of a fool of myself right now. 


	3. The Meeting

Chapter 3 - The Meeting  
  
My head is still throbbing, and my eyes are becoming sensitive to light. Great I'm getting a migraine while I'm stuck in this elevator with Mr. Chuckles himself. The elevator stops, sh!t I forgot to remember what level we stopped on. Oh well. I walk down the hall to the conference room. He opens the door for me, I hope he's leaving this meeting. Nope, guess not. I sit down and rest my wrists on the table. I turn toward the man at the head of the table. "Jack Bristow I presume?" The man nods as he reaches for his sock. He pulls out a lock pick, and in a few seconds he has my hands out of the cuffs. I rub each wrist and then try to feel the lump on my head.  
  
"Do you need any immediate medical assistance?" His tone is not of concern, just procedure. I shake my head no. "Good, we need to figure out what happened in Libya immediately." I look up into his eyes. There's concern in them now. It's not for me though, he's worried about something. I rub my temples.  
  
"Haven't you heard from the rest of the team?" The man sitting across from me lowers his head, and Eric clears his throat. I know the answer before it is spoken. Jack opens the folder in front of him and takes out a stack of photos, and tosses them to me.   
  
"These were received about thirteen hours ago in London." I look down. He speaks of them as objects. They aren't objects, they were my co-workers. The first few photos are of James, he's covered in ash. He was in the van with Salene, the woman in the next few photos. I flip through them then I see Karna. She was meant to be the lookout down the street. How could they have gotten her too? I swallow the lump that's building in my throat. I flip the last few photos slowly hoping they will only be those three. I stop. There he is, Calvin. Two shots to the head, and a few through his chest. I bite the inside of my lower lip to stall the tears. I can feel all the eyes in the room on me, but the discomfort from them is nothing compared to the photo. I knew we should never had split up. If I had been there I could have saved him. I know I could have. I look back at Jack.   
  
"Continue." I mutter trying my best to hide all of my emotions.  
  
"Well Officer Adurea, I need to know how you escaped." I sit in silence.  
  
"Well honestly, I didn't really escape." My head rushes with the last images of Calvin and I, "Officer Trager and I had successfully retrieved the data files from the computer and were heading out of the compound, when out of no where a fleet of guards open fire on us. We both turned around and started to run, when another groups of guards cut us off. Cal..." I clear my throat. "Officer Trager motioned for me to run with the disks, while he tried to stall the guards. I made it out of the main complex only to be captured at the main gate." I pause again, my head is swirling with emotions, I need a few seconds to control them. I continue, "At the gate I was knocked out by the butt of an automatic rifle. Then next thing I know I wake up in a room tied to a chair. I wasn't even really tied though, they used duct tape. There were no cameras in the room, just a table, a chair and me. I was able to break through the duct tape and get out of the chair. I got to the door and opened it. It wasn't locked. There were no guards and no cameras in the hall. I walked out of the building to find myself in the middle of the business district of LA. I called the dispatcher and here I am." I look up at the other two men. Eric is sifting through my file. The other man has his chin resting in his hand and a confused look on his face. He turns to Jack,   
  
"It's a trap Jack. I think we need to secure her and send her down and have her eyes scanned for the protein. She has to be a trap." Jack just sits there. It's obvious he's calculating my story, but there is no sign of what his conclusion is.   
  
"Dixon. If I thought she was a trap I would not have let her out of the handcuffs. Sloane is up to something. There is some hidden message in all of this." The phone in the middle of the table rings and Jack picks it up. "This is Jack... Syd?.. I want you and Vaughn out of Libya now... I'll fill you in when you return." Jack hangs up the phone. He turns to Officer Weiss. "Will you escort Officer Adurea down to the medical center and have her checked out. Dixon and I need to call London and see what they make of all this." Great Mr. Chuckles again. I stand up and walk to the door and wait for Eric. I open the door and follow him out. He leads me back towards the elevators. Great another elevator ride. 


	4. The Eye and Monopoly

Chapter 4 - The Eye and Monopoly   
  
The door shuts. I flip through a few pages in the mission debrief. Someone couldn't have been working form the inside. All of those who knew about this mission were sent to Libya. Sloane killed all of them except for Zanna. Yet, I worked with Sloane for far too many years for him to send his double back in like this. He knows she is going to be under high surveillance. My thoughts are interrupted.   
  
"Jack. Something is not right about all of this. One agent survives; is practically left on our doorstep? Sloane isn't like this. I think it's someone else."  
  
I don't even look up from the file. "This has Sloane written all over it. Look." I reach for the remaining photos from the file and hand them to Dixon. "Look closely at the bodies left shoulders. See were it looks like the ash has been rubbed away. It's the eye of Rambaldi." Dixon slams his fist into the table.  
  
"It seems too subtle for Sloane. There's more here Jack." I can feel Dixon's impatience rising. He still hasn't been able to get a hold of his temper since Diane died.   
  
"I know Dixon, but I can't figure this out either." I hate the feeling of defeat.  
  
*****  
  
I push the elevator down button and wait. My hands are sweaty. I put them in my pockets. I look over at Zanna, she stares unblinking at the illuminated button. "Err . . . I'm sorry about your colleagues."   
  
She looks up at me, "Thanks." The elevator comes and we board. We fall into silence again. This time she occupies her self by examining the two cuts down her left arm.  
  
"I hate it when my cat does that to me." Stupid, she doesn't go for my one-liners. Wait! Did she just flicker a smile? I look straight ahead and then at her again. He face has returned to the blank stare, I've seen that look on Sydney before. I fumble with the linear in my pockets, what is taking this elevator so long. I hear a mumble of words. I look over at her; she closes her mouth. "Sorry, what?"  
  
"I pictured you as a dog person." The corners of her mouth definitely fight a smile this time. I'm floored. Is she really trying to start conversation? I open my mouth to speak back, but the elevator doors open and the ding cuts me off. A short round Chinese man in his late fifties waits in the lobby.   
  
"Zanna Adurea I presume." Zanna smiles as the man and nods her head. "Follow me please." With that the two of them wonder of down the hall through a set of double doors. Damn it. When Vaughn gets back, I'm going to have him teach me the forehead wrinkle. That always gets the girls.  
  
*****  
  
I can feel all the tension in the elevator, why is Eric so nervous about all of this. Is this one of his first assignments? It can't be. They wouldn't send a high security case like this to a newbie. He attempts to make small talk again, but there's no way he owns cats. He's silent again, I can hear his hands moving in his pockets, how does he survive on ops. I decide he's sat over there in panic for long enough. "I can't picture you owning a cat."  
  
"Sorry, what?" Great he wasn't even listening to me, why did I even try. Well I have his attention now.  
  
"I pictured you as a dog person." Just then the elevator doors open. Saved. A man is waiting outside the door for me. He reminds me of my grandfather, if my grandfather had been Chinese. I follow him down the hall and through the doors. Eric doesn't follow. He takes a right and leads me down another corridor. At the end of this hall there is a single door. He opens it and holds it for me. I step into the room. It's your typical doctor's office. There is the paper covered padded table. I sit on the edge. He moves to the counter and washes his hands and then puts on two bright purple latex gloves. He grabs a pair of scissors and cuts away my left sleeve.  
  
"I'm Doctor When. I'd say you gave them a pretty good fight. How bad's the pain?"  
  
I smile, "Not too bad."  
  
He reaches into the upper cupboard and pulls out a bottle of pills, he places two into a tiny paper cup, and then grabs a larger paper cup and fills it with water. "Here take these, it will make this all go a little easier. Don't worry they are just a small dose of codeine." He reaches for the bottle, "see." I down the two pills without the water, and lay down. He fiddles on the counter pulling out different sterile packages.   
  
There's something very comforting about this doctor. I can imagine us going to the parks on Saturday afternoons and playing chess. My grandfather and I use to play chess. Every time I would go and see him we would do some kind of puzzle. I loved my grandfather, he was the one stable person in my life, and the one reason I think I choose to come to the CIA. After he passed away, I was always trying to find something that could fill my life the way my grandfather did. Right after graduating from college I was approached by the CIA, it was the perfect fix for the empty feeling I had.  
  
That's how I met Calvin. We were met during field training. There was just something about him that I clicked with right away. I think it was his humor, though eventually I was amazed by his intellect, but he always was making me laugh. We were the top two of our class and both went on for more specialized training. He was always my rock when I couldn't tell anyone what I was going through. I remember right when he met Cassie, how jealous I was to hear about the new girl that was taking up all of his time, but in the end it was right for him. I was able to confirm that after I stole a kiss from him during a mission. No sparks, just lips. Oh God poor Cassie. How am I going to be able to face her? Last time I saw her was right before Calvin and I made the move to London. She was on the front door step, tears pouring from her eyes her hands wrapped around her pregnant belly. She knew that we were only meant to be stationed in London for eight weeks, but she was worried that Calvin wasn't going to be able to see the baby born. I guess she was right. I feel the tears filling my eyes again. I take a deep breath and force all the thoughts from my head.  
  
"I'm not hurting you, am I?" Doctor When peers over his glasses and stops stitching up my arm.   
  
"Oh, no. I didn't even notice that you weren't still at the counter." He gives a giddy little chuckle.  
  
"Yes, yes, codeine will do that to you." He leans back down and finishes off the stitches. "Now on to that lump." He motions to my head. I close my eyes and let him do the work.   
  
"Zanna." I jump that's not Doctor When's voice, adrenalin fills my body and I jump out of the chair, only to see it's just Eric. "Slightly jumpy there." He laughs. I take a deep breath and sit back down. "Doctor When told me to give these to you. Take two every four hours, or one when the pain comes back."   
  
"I must have dozed off." I take the codeine from his hand and shove it in my pocket. Something crumples in my pocket. That's odd. I never have excess things in my pockets on missions. I reach for it and pull out a small card. It's an orange get out of jail free card from the game monopoly. I flip it over, scrawled on the back it reads, "I let you go. Now I need you to let my associate go." 


	5. Airplanes

Chapter 5 - Airplanes  
  
My body slams through the surface of the mirror. I slide to the floor. She advances on me; I'm desperate now. I reach for the only thing I can, the gun. I shoot. I see her stumble backwards. Her face contorts into a mask of pain and surprise. I shoot again. She falls back. I shoot for the final time. She falls to the floor. I let out a deep sob.  
  
"Sydney!" I jump awake. Everyone on the plane is looking at me. Vaughn starts to rub my back, "shhhh . . . it's okay," he whispers in my ear. I still haven't been able to sleep this past month. I know it wasn't Francie, but the pain is still there. It still feels like I killed Francie. Vaughn leans in and kisses my cheek. My body is still lightly shaking, I lean forward and cry into my hands. I have to get over this, I know how to detach from my emotions. I just can't yet. I was the same way after Danny died, and in truth I still haven't fully recovered, why else would I still want to hunt down Sloane.   
  
The people on the plane have settled back into their seats, I hear the sounds of footsteps up the aisle, "Ma'am is there anything I can get you?"   
  
"Sorry about this, she was just having a nightmare." The stewardess nods her head and starts to leave toward the back again.  
  
"Wait, I could use a cold glass of water."   
  
"Okay dear I'll bring that right back." She leaves and then comes back with the water, "Anything else?"  
  
"No I'm fine now, thank you." I take a sip and stare straight forward. Vaughn's arm has now snaked around me and he pulls me into his chest.  
  
"I think it's good that Jack called us back. I don't think you are ready to be back in the field yet. You still need to grieve." I turn away from Vaughn. He doesn't understand that this is how I grieve. This is how I heal, I can't just sit and mope when I know what I need to do to right the wrongs. I'm not in the mood to fight this out again, so I just sip my water. Vaughn pulls his arm back, he knows he crossed the line again. I stare out the window; there's LAX. I look over at Vaughn, his forehead is bunched up, he always does that when he's worried.  
  
"Where almost there."  
  
"Syd, you can't keep shutting me out, I'm just" I cut him off with a kiss. He starts to pull away to finish his sentence and then gives up. I've won for now. 


	6. Angst

Chapter 6 - Angst   
  
I gasp for air; my body trembles. What is this meant to mean? I sit back down tears pressing my eyes; I have a sinking feeling that this is just going to get worse. Weiss reaches up and grabs the card from my hands. He too reads it. "Someone had a little too much time on their hands to think this one up." I'm frozen in my spot. Why me? I was assigned to help bring down the London SD cell, and that was a success. Libya was my first mission that even dealt with Sloane. I remember being briefed about the Libya mission, Calvin and I were so excited, we were finally getting our chance at tackling the big bad wolf. A tear finally falls from my eye, where had it got so complicated. I wipe my face and take another deep breath, letting the air pull me back to reality. I look up at Weiss. He is clearly conflicted about what to do. He shifts and looks down at his feet, "If you need someone I'm here." I look up at him.  
  
"Will you take me back to Jack?" He nods understandingly and we head back toward the elevators in silence.   
  
*****  
  
We still hadn't said any words to each other since leaving the airport. Sydney was dedicated to not look at me. She sat looking out the window running her fingers through her hair. I stare back at the road. I'm never very good at apologizing after these fights.   
  
"Syd . . . " I rub my forehead, trying to find the perfect words, "I'm sorry Syd."   
  
She closes her eyes and drops her head. "I know Vaughn" her words barely audible. "You just need to understand that I need to go back to the field. I need to stop this before I lose anyone more. I need to detangle myself from this web. I can barely sleep at night. I worry all the time that..." she stops and takes a big breath and looks at me, tears now cover her eyes, "I worry that next I will lose you." Her words surprise me. This is the first time she ever told me this.   
  
I mutter the only words that I can, "I love you."  
  
"I love you, too." She reaches over and grabs my hand. We sit in silence for the rest of the drive to headquarters.  
  
*****  
  
The doors burst open, I look up to see Weiss and Zanna enter the room quickly.  
  
"I think we have the missing piece Jack!" Weiss hands me a small orange card. I read it. It's definitely Sloane's writing on the back. He wants Sark. I had the card to Dixon.   
  
"Where did you find this?" I look up at the pair of them.  
  
Weiss looks at Zanna, and she turns to me, "I found it in my pocket."  
  
I take the card back from Dixon and look at it again, "Weiss will you please escort Miss Adurea to the safe house for now."  
  
"Wait!" She steps forward and leans down slamming her hands on the table, "I'm not just going to sit in a room while you figure this out. I have every right to be involved with this operation."   
  
I look up, and turn an icy stare at her. "Miss Adurea, I'm the ranking Officer in here, and I have complete control over this mission." Weiss diverts his eyes from me, but she just stares right at me unblinking, unmoving. "I believe you are out of line."  
  
Zanna cocks her head to one side and raises her voice, a look of defiance spreads across her face, "Excuse me Officer Bristow," she's mocking me now, "but I do believe that I'm the one who has more information on what's happening right now than you do. I was the one who was in Libya. I was the one who received the card. I am the one that Sloane choose to be the messenger for this sick game. I'm the one who has just lost her team to this man." She raises her voice even higher, "And I refuse to just sit back now, when I've just lost a good portion of my life to this man!"  
  
I straighten my posture in my chair but do not stand, I don't even raise my voice, "Miss Adurea, have you ever met Sloane?"  
  
She's taken aback by my question, "No." Her words are quiet now, and her self-confidence is waning.   
  
"Well I have. I've known this man for a good portion of my life. I've known him even before you were born. If that doesn't make me a great scholar on the topic of Sloane than you, I don't know what does." She drops her eyes from me, and takes a deep breath. She's been defeated. "Now if you will please follow Officer Weiss to the safe house, I will handle this operation the way I see fit, unless there is anything else?"   
  
She stands back up pulling her shoulders back, and raises her chin, her eyes are not proud anymore, they are pleading. "I don't want to sit this one out. I need answers about what has gone on in the last 48 hours. I think you can agree I deserve that."  
  
I nod, "I agree you need answers, but right now, your loyalty is still in question."   
  
Anger boils back into her eyes, but she bites her tongue. "If you will now go with Officer Weiss, I promise within the next 24 hours, I will contact you about where we are going from here."   
  
She dead locks her eyes into mine, "I'm not the bad guy, just remember that. I've been thrown into the same circumstances as you have." With that she turns around and follows Weiss out the door. I look back down at her file, my gut says she's not the trap, but I can't be too sure. I never would have thought Laura to be a trap.  
  
Dixon clears his throat pulling me out of my reverie of thought, "So Sloane must want Sark back, right? But he just delivered us four dead agents and one agent with a get out of jail free card. He seems to have nothing to bargain Sarks release. So why even try to ask for it?"  
  
"Because this is all a mind game with Sloane." 


	7. Cell Talk

Chapter 7 - Cell Talk  
  
The silence is broken by the metal doors sliding to the side. The air hums with the noise of the spokes turning and squeaking I zone in the sound of the footsteps. The steps are heavy, and quick, they sound like Jack's, I do believe he has received the message. I smile, and continue to lie on the cot, I don't even bother to look up at him. "Ahhh... Mr. Bristow, I was wondering when I would be graced by your presences, but I don't believe the message was left with you, now was it?"   
  
Jack steps up to the glass and stops. "What message?" He replies. If I didn't know Jack better, I would have believed he hadn't received it, but working for Irina, I learned a few of his secrets. He's growing impatient, "Do you want to inform me of what message I was meant to receive." I can feel him staring at me, trying to read my mood. I have to laugh.   
  
"Oh Jack, why don't you just ask me. Is it that hard for you?" I sit up and look at him in the eyes. His not amused.   
  
He lowers his voice to a harsh whisper, "Do I need to remind you, that I will use whatever I need to, to get answers from you."   
  
I walk over to the glass, Jack never seems to cease from amusing me. "Where is she Jack?"  
  
"Sark this isn't about Sydney."  
  
"I'm not asking about Sydney." Jack's anger is rising.   
  
"Then who are you inquiring about?" He's about ready to snap. I shake my head at him.  
  
"Now, now Jack, where do you think your temper is going to get you, hum?" I start to walk away back to the cot.   
  
"Sark!" he barks at me. "I thought your loyalties were flexible."  
  
I turn around and look Jack square in the eyes. "They are."  
  
"Then tell me, what is going on." I turn back around and walk back to the cot.   
  
"Jack, Jack, Jack. I think it's simple. My employer wants me back." With that I lay down on the cot and close my eyes again. The metal wheels grind again, and Jack storms out.  
  
*****  
  
She hasn't spoken a word since we left the conference room. I open her door, and let her sit down in the passenger seat. I close the door and walk around to the other side. As I shut the door, I see Vaughn and Sydney pull up. I wave at them and get in the car. I back-up and start to head to the safe house. I hear a soft rumble noise. Zanna lets out a laugh. I look over at her and hear it again. "Is there a small creature living in your stomach?"  
  
She laughs again, and continues to stare straight ahead. "I can't remember when the last time I ate was."   
  
"Well if it's okay with you, do you want to go grab something to eat. I know a nice little café really close to the safe house."   
  
She nods and looks over at me, "sure, I don't have any cash though."  
  
"Well I think we can work something out." I raise one of my eyebrows, but she wasn't too amused by that comment. "You k now I was shot once."  
  
She looks at me, her eyes are squinted up, "What does that have to do with dinner?"   
  
"Everything!" She smirks at me. "Well, you have just been through a horrible day, and I thought maybe you would like to know that I too had been through a horrible time." She shakes her head.  
  
"You're a weird one." We lock eyes and smile each other, and return to silence. This time though, it's a comfortable silence  
  
*****  
  
We enter the conference room. There Dixon sits scanning over a pile of photos and records. He glances up, "Thank goodness you two made it back. Come sit down." He reaches for two of the folders sitting next to him. He hands one to me and one to Vaughn. 'Mission Doctor Who' is written down the tab of the folder. I look up at Dixon.  
  
"This is what we were sent to Libya for, right?" He nods his head. "Why were we called back?"  
  
"I think we should wait for your father to return before we tackle this one." With that my father enters the room. He always has impeccable timing. He sits down and continues to tell us about the happenings of the past hours. I flip through the file, one picture catches my eye, it's the woman who was with Weiss. I slid it over to Vaughn, and look up at him, then return my attention to my father.  
  
"So what does this all mean? Obviously Sloane wants Sark back, and obviously Zanna has some tie into all of this that's not in this file. Is there any sign that mom's attached to this too?" Dad shakes his head no.   
  
"So where are we going from here?" Vaughn asks.  
  
"Well I've talked to Sark, and he knew before I said a word that Sloane had contacted us about Sark's release. Then he asked, 'Where is she?'."  
  
My head spins, "Who does he mean? Alison? Mom? Zanna? Who?"  
  
My dad looks back through the file, "I don't know." 


	8. The Cafe

Chapter 8 - The café   
  
We park close to the café and walk right toward the door. I feel awkward. I glance over my shoulder. A car has just parked a few feet away from us, and a short stocky man is putting quarters into the parking meter. He sure is taking his time. I lean into Eric, "I think we have a tail, the man at the parking meter." He glaces over his shoulder and smiles.   
  
"Yup, that's Officer Wilson. I take it Jack has put you under surveillance. Come on, don't worry about him, let's eat." With that Eric lays his hand on the small of my back and leads me into the café. I look back once more and wink at Officer Wilson, Eric laughs and the door closes behind us.   
  
The waitress sets us down in a corner booth. We both order and the waitress slips away. I turn to Eric, I nod at our surroundings, "I think we better stay on neutral topics, don't you think."  
  
Eric nods and takes a very serious look, "So Miss Adurea, what do you think about the weather?" I look straight into his eyes, and crack up, but he holds his pose. "This is an important topic you know."  
  
"Well Mr. Weiss." I take a deep breath and suppress my smile. "I think that the weather is very nice here in L.A. It's a good break from the rain in London." This time Eric cracks up. "Seriously though, I do like LA better than London. I was meant to move back to the states in a month. That's when, our... our internship was going to be over." The lightheartedness of the evening dies. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't bring that up."   
  
Eric reaches over and grabs my hand, "No it's okay. If you want to talk about it I'm here." I shake my head and pull my hand away.  
  
"I'm okay." He looks right into my eyes, I shift in my seat. I feel like he's reading me like a book. "No really, I'm just still in shock."  
  
"Gee... wonder why." Our dinner comes and we both slip into silence as we eat. I had no idea how hungry I was. I chow down my pasta, before Eric is even halfway done with his. I put another fork full of pasta into my mouth, Eric looks me straight in the eyes, "Can you even taste your food?" I try to suppress my laughter, and end up snorting. We both crack up again, but my cheeks are burning red.   
  
I lay my hands up on my cheeks. "I'm so sorry. I guess this isn't one of my shining moments." I can feel the heat still rising in my cheeks. I look up into Eric's eyes, I can see he's not grossed out, but I still feel ridiculous. I'm nervous now to eat. So I pick up my fork and just start to push my food around.  
  
"I don't know what you were taught, but I was always taught that playing with your food, was worse than scarfing your food down." I'm caught. I start to eat again.  
  
The rest of dinner flies by and soon the café is closing. My head is starting to pound again, I reach into my pocket and take two more codeine. Eric watches me and speaks, "I think it's time we get you to bed." He pays and we walk out of the café. We wave to Officer Wilson who has now taken a seat at a park bench and climb in the car and drive off.   
  
During the car ride, I slip into guilt. What am I doing? I should go and comfort Cassie, but I can't. I can't just move on from this, I know to much now not to get involved. The car door opens and Eric offers me his hand. I reach out and grab in and shake my head. I didn't even notice that we had arrived. I follow Eric into the house, and follow him while he gives me a tour of the place.   
  
We end up back at the front doors, "So there will be guards watching the front door twenty-four hours, so I wouldn't try to escape if I were you."  
  
"I'll be good, I promise. I'll wait until someone comes and fetches me." I shuffle my feet, "So... umm... good-night." I lean up and kiss Weiss on the cheek, "thanks for dinner, that's exactly what I needed."   
  
He stands there for a second in shock and then mutters for a bit. I fight the corners of my mouth from smiling. "Good-night Zanna," and with that Weiss leaves. 


	9. Bedroom Chatter

Chapter 9 - Bedroom Chatter  
  
We had been driving around for about thirty minutes, double checking that we had no tail. Tension was high in the car since leaving HQ. Dad was out of ideas, so he told us to all go home, but to be on high alert. As Vaughn and I left, he grabbed me by the arm and pulled me aside of a quick chat.  
  
"Sydney, I understand why you don't want to stay at your house, but I would feel more comfortable if you didn't stay at his house." I stood shocked; I didn't know he knew I had been staying at Vaughn's. I shake my head, and looked him in the eyes. He knows he has stepped out of line. "It's not safe Sydney. Especially right now. I would really like it if you would hurry up and pick a new house." I feel like I'm ten again.  
  
"I know. I think I've finally found one." That's a lie. I haven't even been looking. I love waking up next to Vaughn, I love being able to have that time together. I feel so safe when I'm with him, even though reality is completely different.  
  
Dad's face turns from care to authority, "Sydney, I've taken this into my own hands." He hands me a key and an address. "I would like it if you moved in as soon as possible." I can't argue, with him. I'm too tired. I take the key and nod. I turn and start to head out of the door to catch up with Vaughn. "One more thing, if you could take some clothes to Officer Adurea, and" Dad pauses for the right words, "maybe talk to her." I nod, I know dad wants me to analyze her as a threat. To see if I can get anything out of her that she hasn't already shared. "Thank you." He's not talking about visiting with Zanna.  
  
The car finally slows down, snapping me back to reality. We pull up to Vaughn's house. There is always tomorrow to check out my new house. The door barely has time to click shut, when Vaughn reaches for my hand and pulls me quickly in for a kiss. He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses me passionately. He pulls back for a second, and leans his forehead onto mine. He's conflicted. I can feel it in his touch. I stare up into his eyes and take his hand. I lead him to the bedroom animal instincts taking over.  
  
Sunlight begins to flood the room. I roll away from Vaughn to see what time it is. Sh!t! It's already 7am. I need to run to my place and grab some clothes and get to the safe house. I crawl to the edge of the bed. Suddenly, two arms wrap around me and pull me back down. Vaughn rolls on top of me, and pins me down to the bed. He showers me with kisses. "Where. Do. You. Think. You. Are. Going?" He asks in the middle of the kisses. I slip my wrists from his grasp, and push on his shoulders, causing us to roll again. This time I stop when I'm on top and he's pinned down.   
  
I kiss the tip of his nose and say, "I need to get to the safe house." He could easily roll me again, but he just lays there, giving me puppy dog eyes. How can I leave those eyes? I must leave; I've already put off duty long enough. I give him one more long kiss, and then slip away. 


	10. Safe House

Chapter 10 - Safe House  
  
"Zanna?" I shut the door behind me, and set the two brown bags onto the nearest table. There's no answer. I stand still listening for any movement; none. I creep toward the kitchen; nothing. I move along. My hair is starting to stand on end. I move into the bedroom; the sheets are crumpled. She was here. All the sudden I get a kick to the ankles and fall to the floor. She pounces on me like a lion, pinning my shoulders down with her knees, and pushing my wrists into the floor.  
  
"Who are you?" She shouts.  
  
"I'm Sydney Bristow. I was sent here by my father Jack Bristow. I was meant to come and check up on you." She doesn't ease her grip. She looks deep into my eyes, analyzing then for any hint that I'm an enemy. "I saw you leave HQ's yesterday. You left with Weiss." With that she releases her grip, and stands up and offers me a hand.   
  
She shakes her head, "Sorry, I'm just... I don't know... I'm sorry."   
  
"I understand. I wouldn't know who to trust if I was you either." She walks out of the bedroom, and into the main room toward the two brown sacks. "I brought you some clothes, I figured you were about the same size as me, but it appears you are slightly taller."   
  
She shrugs, "No big deal, I'll just roll up the bottom of the jeans, and turn them into capris." With that she pulls out a pair of jeans and a baseball tee, and leaves back into the bedroom. I take a seat in the kitchen.  
  
I hear the front door open, "Sydney!" It's Weiss, he looks about as surprised to see me as I am to see him. He's carrying two coffees, and a small paper bag. An aroma of coffee and pastry fills the room. "I... err... I came to check up on Zanna. I didn't know you were assigned to this."  
  
I smile, "It's okay, Dad just wanted me to bring Zanna more clothes since it seems she will be staying here in LA for a while."   
  
Eric's face lights up, "Really?"   
  
I smile and nod. "Something sure smells good," Zanna walks into the room and stops dead in her tracks. She too is surprised to see Eric. "Oh!" She adjusts her ponytail, and runs her hands down her shirt, flattening out the wrinkles. "Good morning Eric."  
  
"Good morning" He raises one of the cups of coffee, "I brought you some breakfast," he glances at me and back to her, "I figured you were probably still hungry." Zanna walks up and grabs one of the coffees.  
  
"Thank you." She turns to me, "Do what some, I'm sure we can find a mug or something."  
  
"Oh no, I'm fine." Eric and Zanna take a seat at the table with me. I feel like a third wheel, but I'm trapped here by duty. I still can't tell if Zanna is everything she says she is, but I hope for Eric's sake she is.   
  
Zanna pokes at the bad, "So what did you bring?"  
  
Eric grabs the bag away, "It's a surprise!" He takes the bag and starts to rummage in the kitchen for plates.   
  
With Eric gone, Zanna's attention moves back to me. "So, what brings you around here." She lifts up one of her eyebrows, "Are you my Nanny today?" I sit stunned, Zanna laughs. "Sorry, I guess that came out wrong. I'm still trying to get my humor back, but it's just coming out mean." She shifts her eyes down on the table.  
  
"It's okay, I understand the emotion roller coaster you go through trying to compartmentalize your emotions." She nods, her eyes glaze over and she continues to stare down at the table.   
  
"I doubt this, but is there anyway I can get access to a phone. I need to call a few people..." Zanna stops, and takes a sip of coffee.   
  
I pause, "I'm sorry your on restrictions." She nods and takes another sip. My heart goes out to her. I feel so guilty, if I had been in the same spot as her, I would be frustrated to no end. We sit in silence, finally, it's broken by my cell phone ringing. I excuse myself as Eric brings food over to the table.   
  
I walk over into the living room, "Hello."  
  
"Where are you?" It's Dad. There's a hint of urgency in his voice.  
  
"I'm at the safe house right now? What's wrong?" Dad pauses for a moment, and I hear his hand cover his phone and he mumbles something, then returns to the phone.   
  
"I need you to get to headquarters as fast as you can. Bring Zanna with you, and enter through the Lobby." He hangs up on me, and I hear Weiss's phone ring. We pass each other as he heads into the living room and I make my way back into the kitchen.   
  
Zanna is now sitting straight up, her muscles tense, her face a blank stare. "What's going on?"  
  
"I don't know, but we need to go back to HQ's." Zanna's stare softens.  
  
"We?" she asks.  
  
I nod, "Seems as if you're included on this too." With that we all make our way out of the house. 


	11. Another Argument

Chapter 11 - Another Argument...  
  
I hang up the phone and return to my desk. I pick up all the files and move them into the conference room, placing one at each chair. I sit at the head of the table and lay my head in my hands. What is going on? I've never been so clueless about Sloane my whole life, and what about Irina? Is she in this too? There's no sign of her yet, except for the fact that they want Sark back. My head is spinning, I hear movement outside the door, and straighten up and hide my confusion. It's Eric. Good, I was hoping he would be here first.  
  
I clear my throat. "Eric, what are your thoughts on Zanna?" He jerks his head up and meets my eyes. He's conflicted on how to respond.  
  
"Well sir, to take words from Frank Herbert, 'knowing there is a trap is the first step in evading it.' Yet, I don't think she is the trap. I think she is simply a piece that Sloane is playing to set us up. I think we have yet to see the trap."  
  
I rub my temple, I may regret doing this but what other choices do I have, "Eric . . . " I stop and look up at the door. Vaughn walks in, he's about to close the door, when Sydney pulls it open and she and Zanna enter. They all sit down at the table.   
  
I take a deep breath, and stand up. "I called you all in this morning because it seems that Sloane has left us another clue." I pause and motion to the folders on the table. They all grab them and open them up. I fix my stare on Zanna, she opens the folder and flinches, exactly what I was expecting.   
  
She quickly looks up at me, "When did you receive these." He voice is a mixture of panic and anger.  
  
"They were sent to our server around 4am. The broadcasting point has been located as their home in Virginia." I turn away from Zanna, "The woman in the photos, in Cassandra Trager; the wife of one of the officers killed in Libya. Soon after these photos were received, we dispatched teams to take up watch on the remaining close ones to those who were killed in Libya. No other attempts of kidnaping have been reported."  
  
"Why weren't teams dispatched right when their bodies were received? What are the plans of retrieving Cassie? Do we know where she is? What are you doing about this Jack? What?" Zanna starts to get out of her chair, but Eric pulls her back down. Zanna's voice fills with bitterness, "You are just going to let them keep her, aren't you?"   
  
I stand silent, "Miss Adurea, do I need to remind you that any moment I deem necessary I can have you pulled off this case." She doesn't move. "May I continue?" She still doesn't move. "Okay then, we have increased security surrounding Sark." I'm interrupted.  
  
"Who's Sark?" Zanna asks.  
  
"I don't think that concerns you right now."   
  
Zanna backs down. "You do know eventually you are going to have to trust me. I can't help you if I only know half the information." I ignore her.   
  
"We do have a lead in Mexico that says Cassandra could be in captive there. We have satellites on surveillance, but until we get a better clue as to what is happening, that is all there is going to be." I look at Zanna. She is staring at the table very intensely. "Now, Sydney, I need you to get in contact with Will. I need him to pull up background information on this compound in Mexico." Sydney won't look at me either. She keeps her eyes on Zanna, but nods in agreement to talk to Will. "Okay then. Eric will you please escort Miss Adurea to your office. I need a moment with Sydney and Vaughn." Eric gets up and walks to the door. Zanna pauses for a moment about to fight this, then clenches her jaw and walks out also.  
  
Sydney reluctantly speaks up, "Dad, I agree with Zanna. Something more needs to be done with the kidnaping of Cassie. If it had been Will, I would have been there in a heartbeat."  
  
"Do you think she is a double?" Sydney's eyes widen in astonishment with my frankness.   
  
"No, I don't think so."  
  
I turn my back to them. What am I going to do? "Sydney, I want you and Vaughn to head to Virginia. Don't speak of this to anyone. I want you to go to the Trager's house, and see what you can find there." I raise my voice, "But if anything seems wrong, any inkling that something is going to go bad, head back here immediately. I want you to leave in less than two hours." I walk back to the head of the table and pull a second folder from under the first. "Here are maps and plans of the house and the area." With that I walk out of the room and head toward Eric's Office.  
  
*****  
  
She's pissed. She won't talk to me. She just follows me out of the conference room and then to my office. She sits in one of the two chairs on the opposite side of my desk. I take a seat in the other seat, and just stare at her. Tears begin to glaze over her eyes. She takes a deep breath of air and swallows.   
  
"I'm very impressed." She turns to me with a look of confusion on her face. "Do you have any idea of how many people have the guts to fight Jack Bristow and live to tell the tale?" She shrugs her shoulders and stares back at the desk. "I about crap myself every time I have to talk to Jack." She lets out a short breath of laughter. "I'm serious." She gives a half smile and then turns back toward me.   
  
"Eric, have you ever been in love?" Her expression is solemn.  
  
I'm shocked and embarrassed, "No." I can't look her in the eyes now.   
  
"I don't mean in love as in lust love, but have you ever cared so much for someone that you would give your life just for theirs?" I nod my head. She turns back toward the desk, "That's what Calvin and I had." She stops, as a tear finally falls down her cheek. She looks so beautiful. I reach over and grab her hands and turn her toward me. She looks up at me and closes her eyes for a moment, then opens them. "I don't know how to just sit and wait for answers. I'm not that kind of girl." I know what she is hinting toward.  
  
"If you leave here, you will be hunted down. You will be marked as a traitor." She nods her head  
  
"I know that."  
  
"Don't go then. Not yet. Please."   
  
She turns her gaze from me and another tear falls. "What am I meant to do then?" Her voice is starting to crack with pain.  
  
"Stay here." I reach up for her cheek and wipe away the tear. "With me."   
  
She pulls her hands back and turns away from me. "Don't Eric." I exhale, calming all the hurt that's inside. I feel like I just had a huge slap in the face. I'm pulling myself back together when Jack enters. 


	12. The ball starts to roll

Chapter 12 – The ball starts to roll  
  
I enter Eric's office, as he gets up from one of his side chairs and sits behind the desk. He's upset now too. I sit next to Zanna; she turns towards me, her face a stone cold glare. Eric looks towards her and back towards me. I have to decide, it's now or never. Is she trustworthy?  
  
Zanna speaks "So, what are we going to do? Are you here to scold me, or to finally trust me?" She's trying so hard to hide her temper. I take a deep breathe and just sit there.   
  
"I think right now, are problem is that you don't trust me." She's taken aback. "If there's one thing you need to know about Sloane is that he plays on emotions. Why do you think he went after Cassie? She is the one who you would be most desperate to save. That is why it is of most importance that you don't go." Her face is back to a glare, but this time it's softer. She looks at Eric, who nods at her. I reach into my pocket, and grab the cell phone. "I've contacted London, and we have transferred you here to LA." I hand her the cell phone. She loses the glare and her mouth slightly hangs open. I turn to Eric, "I'm placing you as Zanna's handler." Eric's eyes nervously shift to Zanna's, maybe that wasn't such a smart move.  
  
I get up from the chair and look down at the two of them, "Now, I'm working on finding out what happened to Cassie. Until I get more information, I think it would be smart for you to stay low, so far no one seems to have tailed you, but that doesn't mean it's safe yet. With that I walk out the door and head towards my office.   
  
"Office Bristow!" I turn and see Zanna jog up to catch up behind me. "Thank you," she mutters and turns back and goes to Eric's Office.  
  
*****  
  
I feel like Sydney and I just got off of a plane and already we are driving back toward Virginia. I look over at her, she looks gorgeous. The soft light from the window is pouring in behind creating an angle like glow around her. I turn back toward the road. A twinge of pain hits my heart. I wish we could leave this all behind us, and go live a normal life; well at least as normal of a life as we could. I think Jack and Irina would make that difficult.  
  
"Vaughn!" I give a quick jump and notice that Sydney is now looking impatiently at me. "We are almost in to the airport and we still haven't decided on the best way to enter the house."   
  
I reach for her hand and give it a kiss, she blushes. "I think we should just pick the front door lock and enter. Jack said so far, no one other than the five of us in the conference room was even alerted to her disappearance. So I say we walk up to the front door, I'll ring the bell while you pick the lock, and then we will try to enter casually, as if she just answered the door." I look up into her eyes, "unless you want to jump out of the plane and parachute on to the roof, and then repel down the side of the house, and crash in through a window."   
  
She starts to laugh gives my shoulder a slight push. "I think the first plan is better."  
  
"Really?" She pushes my shoulder again.  
  
"Since when did you start to make smartass remakes like Eric?"   
  
I shrug, "I guess I'm just going through withdrawal. You know there is the gorgeous girl in my life right now, who is taking up all my time."  
  
"Hey mister, I can leave anytime you need me too." I reach over and steal a kiss on the cheek. "Well okay then, don't complain."  
  
*****  
  
I walk back into Eric's office; he's really fascinated with his computer. I've never been good in situations like this. I'm not sure what to say, so I sit back down in the chair. Silence remains; it's more painful than any torture I've ever endured. Finally he looks up at me, "So do you need me to take you to the safe house, or do you want to just sit there until Jack has more information?"  
  
"Eric…" my voice pleading for him to act civil. He just turns and grabs so papers off of his desk.  
  
"You can stay here, but I need to go file these." With that he walks past me. I reach out for his hand but before I grab it I pull it back and just sit there. If he's going to act like we're two so am I. 


	13. Virgina

Chapter 13 – Virginia  
  
I feel Vaughn's hand slip into the small of my back, while I fight with the lock on the door. We are in your normal suburb, staring at what could have been a picturesque World War II family home. Only this house hides a dirty secret; a secret I'm trying to pick into. So far there is nothing out of the normal. We drove around the house a few times, and never picked up on any surveillance or movement in the house. They must be gone.   
  
"Hurry up! I think the old woman across the street is starting to wonder what we are doing." Vaughn says out of the corner of his mouth.  
  
"You try to pick a lock in the standing position, with your arms down at your waist." The lock finally gives and we both greet the invisible woman. We close the door, and inspect the condition. There is no sign of forced entry. Vaughn reaches under his coat and pulls out his gun and cocks it. We slowly make our way further into the entry room. There are pictures everywhere, nothing seems to have been knocked over and disheveled. It seems as if the occupants were on vacation. No sign of struggle.   
  
We enter into the kitchen, the sink has a few dirty dishes in it, and there is a stack of bills on the counter. I wonder over and shuffle through the letters, place them back on the counter. Vaughn is over tinkering with a stack of invitations on the table. He catches me looking at them and holds one up. They are invitations for Calvin's funeral. My head drops, I flash back to Danny; another man killed by Sloane's horrid plans.   
  
I advance toward the hall that leads to the living room, leaving Vaughn shuffling through the papers on the table. I walk down the hall and cross through a door and enter the living room. On the table sits today's newspaper and a cup of coffee. This room is filled of pictures too; a set of them catches my eye.  
  
It's one of those frames that can hold multiple photos. It appears as if it was Cassie's 29th birthday. There is a big center picture of Cassie in front of her cake, with Calvin kissing her cheek and Zanna sitting next to him. There seems to be about 25 other smiling people behind them. A lump rises in my throat, this house seems to mock me. They were able to live a normal life, despite his career; while mine has been a nightmare for me and anyone who comes close to me. I look at a few other of the pictures, in the frame. There is a few of just Cassie and Calvin, and then one of Calvin and Zanna. She looks so vibrant in the pictures; she almost looks like a completely different person than the one who has come to our LA office.  
  
I start to wonder further down the wall until I get a nagging feeling in my stomach. I look back the center photo, the one that initially caught my attention. I glance over it once more and there Sark is, my heart stop and the puzzle statrs to make sense. "Vaughn… we got to get out of here right now!" I hear footsteps come in from the kitchen, I turn hoping to get out of here as soon as possible when I stop dead. It's not Vaughn, it's a woman. A red spotlight now on my forehead, I'm looking straight at the barrel of a semiautomatic pistol.   
  
"Hands Up! Don't more!"  
  
*****  
  
I've been sitting here forever, Eric still hasn't returned. Why does he have to act this way? I sit turn towards the windows, and look out into the other offices. I scan the area looking for where he could be; he's across the hall and down a little ways talking to someone. He gives them a quick one liner and then starts to head back towards his office. He enters and places a cup of coffee down on his desk and looks back at his computer. He doesn't say anything to me or even look at me.   
  
"Eric… please don't do this. You are the only person that I have right now, and I don't need you ignoring me." He turns up from his computer his eyes still hold rejection in them. I bite my lower lip; I don't need this, especially not right now. I shake my head and turn away. He turns back to his computer and types away.  
  
*****  
  
I hear another shuffle of steps; two guards enter dragging Vaughn in with them. There's a bright red spot on Vaughn's left temple, and a gun shoved pointing right at Vaughn's other temple.   
  
"Cassie?" I mutter. The guards shift Vaughn towards a chair and push him down in the chair, both now pointing guns on him. I use my peripheral vision to glance at some of the photographs. It is Cassie. This was a trap all along.   
  
"Agent Bristow. Hmm… I wasn't expecting you." With that she reaches into her front pocket and pulls out a cell phone. She motions her gun towards the couch, "please take a seat for a second." With that she puts the cell phone up to her ear but never moves her eyes from me. "We have a problem." She pauses and listens to the voice on the other end. "No, Agent Adurea wasn't the one who showed up. Seems that Jack sent Sydney." Another pause, "Very well." With that she hangs up the phone and returns it to her pocket.  
  
I sit on the couch trying to remain calm. If that was Sloane, I'm safe, but what about Vaughn? I glance up into Cassie's eyes, they are stone cold, they have the look that my mother had when she shot me. "So you and Calvin set this all up."   
  
Her eyes fill with humor, "Calvin was just another pawn, the means to get information for my boss."  
  
"Your boss? Sloane?"  
  
She doesn't move, but the look in her eyes is enough to tell me that it was Sloane on the phone. She advances forward on me, "Seems we have a change of plans, so I'm to leave you the message. We want Sark." With that she raises her arm and smashes it into the side of my head, before I even feel pain everything goes black. 


	14. Phone Calls

Author's Note: I don't know anything about McLean, Virginia; and I was too lazy to research it, so please bare with what I wrote. Thanks guys you are great!  
  
Chapter 14 – Phone Calls  
  
The ringing dies down and slowly I wake up. My neck is sore, my head is pounding. The room is dead silent, and completely dark. How long have I been passed out? I push myself up from my slumped position, my eyes starting to adjust to the dark.   
  
"Vaughn?" No answer. I glance over to the couch, I don't see anything. Please just be the darkness. I crawl over to the couch, searching with my hands for a body to be there. There's nothing. No! Tears start to pour from my eyes. Not Vaughn. Not right now. I knew this was going to happen. I knew this would be ruined, and I knew Sloane would have something to do with it. I push myself up slowly, anger rising in my blood, giving me strength. I move towards the wall, and feel the switch. I'm too scarred to turn on the lights.  
  
"Vaughn?!?" I can barely choke out the word. I'm trembling all over. Light floods the room, and I quickly close my eyes. The pain of the light is nothing compared to what I feel when I open my eyes to an empty room. I reach into my pocket and grab my cell phone. I feel something else in there. I grab it and pull it out with the phone. It's another monopoly card; just looking at it makes me sick.   
  
I just stare at the orange card as if it's going to explode. I can't focus in on it; my vision is distorted by tears. The front reads 'Take a Walk on the Boardwalk', I flip over the card and read the message Sloane has scribbled on it; 'Bring Sark to Atlantic City in five days'. I read the card over and over. Nothing is mentioned about Vaughn. I shove the card back into my pocket, panic taking over. I dial the first number that comes to my mind. "Daddy?"  
  
"Sydney? What's wrong?" His voice is surprisingly full of emotion.  
  
"The house it was a set-up." I hear Dad sigh on the other end. I hear him shout at Weiss to get into his office immediately. "Daddy," I'm trying to get his attention back. "Daddy, it wasn't Zanna."  
  
"What?" he practically makes me deaf.  
  
"It was Cassie. She's been working for Sloane for years. She set this up, she used Calvin for information. She was also working with Sark. There's a photo of her birthday where he's lurking in the background." I ramble it all out while he tries to interrupt me.  
  
"Sydney… Sydney… wait do you need extraction?"   
  
"No I'm fine. They took Vaughn, and left another message. Sloane wants us to meet him in Atlantic City, and deliver Sark. Cassie called him, she called Sloane. They were expecting Zanna to show up. So they took Vaughn. We have to get Vaughn back!" I hear Dad mumbling to Eric to sit down.   
  
"Sydney, calm down. Get on a flight as soon as possible and head back to LA. I'll get Zanna in here, and see what she knows about the Cassie Sark connection." He pauses, and takes a deep breath. He's blaming himself for this. "Take care."  
  
"Daddy, it's not your fault."  
  
"Take care" and he hangs up on me. I grab the frame off the wall and rip open the back and steal the photo that has Sark in it, and head towards the airport.  
  
*****  
  
I hear Jack yell at me from the down the hall. Thank goodness, I need to get out of this room. My head is swimming with mixed emotions. She sits there in the chair, obviously hurt, I want to ignore Jack and take her with me, take her away from this. Yet, the nasty voice in the back of my head tells me she started this. I tired to be there for her and she pulled back.   
  
She's staring out the window looking toward Jack's office. I get a glance at her eyes, they are filled with tears, but she's able to keep them from falling. I swallow the lump in my throat and walk out of the office. I look back and see her turn away as a tear falls.  
  
I try to gain composure as I walk towards Jack's office. She pulled away, but then again her whole life has been ripped away from her. I shake my head and clear all my thoughts. I enter his office and he's on the phone. Jack is actually looking frazzled, my heart drops; something is really wrong. Jack tells me to take a seat and I follow. He starts to pace behind his desk.   
  
He's talking to Sydney, something's wrong. Jack hangs up and practically ignores me. He paces behind his desk; I clear my throat and Jack's head snaps to my direction. "The house was a set-up, Sloane now has Vaughn." My stomach drops, right away, Vaughn captive. I feel betrayed; I fell for the bad girl. Jack gives me a look as if he can read my thoughts, "It wasn't Zanna. She had nothing to do with this. It was her partner's wife, Cassie." I feel sick, I blamed her first, I should have known better. Jack takes another breath. "I need you to go question Zanna about Sark."   
  
"But she said she didn't know who Sark was?"  
  
Jack reaches in a cabinet and pulls a folder. He tosses it to me, "She may not know him as Sark. Seems Sydney found a photo of him in the house…"   
  
Jack gets cut off by his phone ringing,   
  
*****  
  
"This is Jack. Yes... I need you to track everyone who has left all airports surrounding McLean, Virginia… Send them to me immediately." I start to pace again. Sark's words ring in my head, "Where is she Jack?" He knew. Eric starts to get up to leave, I turn on him, "Wait, I think you should take her down to Sark. He knew she was here." Confusion spreads over his whole face, "Trust me, and take her to talk to him." Eric nods and leaves. I walk to the door and shut it behind him; I close the blinds too. Sloane played this perfect. I'm a mess; and this whole situation reminds me of Irina. 


	15. A Broken Girl

Chapter 15 – A broken girl  
  
Eric comes back into his office, I really want to get out of this office, but I have no transportation except for Eric. He closes the door behind him, and then reaches for the blinds and closes them too. He's tense; I can see it in the way he moves. He sits in the chair across the desk, and places his head in his hands.   
  
"Eric, I'm sorry." My emotions are taking over and for once I can't stop them, I'm too tired to hold back my tears. "I didn't mean to hurt you; I'm just a huge mess right now. The one thing that kept me sane in this crazy world was killed. His wife is held captive, and that can't be good for the baby. I'm just a mess right now. I never have lost someone so close to me, those two were my family. They were.." My body heaves with sobs, and I just drop my head and let all the tears flow. "I need you, Eric. I'm sorry. I'm just so sorry…"   
  
Eric gets up from his desk and kneels down on the floor in front of me. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his arms. My instinct yells at me to pull away, I don't need another person to lose. I've already lost everything. Yet, there's just something that draws me into Eric, it's not just his arms, it's him. He runs his fingers through my hair trying to calm me down. He's still tense though; I pull back and look up into his eyes. There's pity, confliction, and tears. "Eric?" I choke the words out; he can't look into my eyes. I reach up and place my hands on his cheeks and pull his face so that he has to look into my eyes. "Eric?" He pulls himself back, and rises to his feet and sits in the chair next to me.  
  
He swallows, and shifts in his seat. "Ummm… we have information on Cassie." He won't look into my eyes anymore, he looks strung out.   
  
My heart stops. "What? Do we know where she is? Is she okay? What?"   
  
He hesitate, he's look for the proper words, "Jack sent Sydney and Vaughn to check out the Trager's house. It was a set up. Cassie never was kidnapped; it was a trap to get you to show up." I can't breath. I didn't hear him right. "She's been working for Sloane for years…" I can't even hear Eric anymore. How could she betray us? What about the baby!?! Calvin! She betrayed Calvin! She used him. I gasp for air, it doesn't seem to come. I gasp again, still no air.   
  
Eric jumps out of his chair and grabs me again air pours into my lungs, "I'm so sorry." My head is swirling, everything that I had comfort in was a lie. I want to hurt him, he has to be lying.   
  
I push him away, "Don't lie to me! Please Eric stop. I don't know… I can't… Tell me the truth." but he just grabs me harder and pulls me in again. "I'm so sorry; so sorry" he's crying now. He isn't lying. My whole body is shutting down; people aren't meant to deal with this kind of stuff. I don't care how much training they gave, there was nothing that can help me deal with this. Everything; a lie; a trap.  
  
We stand together for eternity. The air is slowing coming in with more and more ease; my body isn't trembling anymore. I can't even think. My whole body is shutting down. I'm numb; I can't feel anything except for Eric's arms. The tears stop coming, there's just nothing left in me.  
  
Eric pulls back and looks sheepishly into my eyes, "There's more." He waits to read my reaction, I stare at him blankly. "They captured Vaughn, and let Sydney go. They left her with another card, arranging a meeting place to retrieve Sark." Eric just watches me as the words sink in. "Sydney is heading back; she'll be able to give you more information than I will."  
  
Time seems to stand still. I fall back into all my memories, I remember the wedding. I remember the parties. I remember it all, and the whole time a lie lingered in the air; a lie that for once I didn't see. I finally feel an emotion; revenge. "What do I need to do?"  
  
"Right now, I think you should go see Dr. Barnett. Jack wants you to talk to Sark, but…"  
  
I cut him off, "No, I'm not going to let another person die in this mess. Take me to Sark. I need to find out who he is, and why in the hell did they pick me." Eric nods and gives me a few minutes to gain what composure I can.  
  
"Ready?" I nod and follow him down the hall. We travel through security two guards check us in and walk us down the hall of multiple steel doors. We approach the glass cell, and there is a man lying down on his bed, I instantly recognize him. "Joshua?"  
  
He sits up and cocks his head to the side, his face has a twisted smile on it, "Actually I'm going by Sark now." 


	16. The past

Chapter 16 – The past  
  
I'm awakened by the churning of the steel wheels outside of my cell; two sets of footsteps are coming my way. I'm pleasantly surprised when one utters a name I haven't heard in years, I didn't think Jack would actually send her down here. I sit up, and smile at her and let the mind games begin.   
  
I don't take my eyes from her, she looks so different than the last time I saw her, there is a certain glow missing from her. We only had the one night together, but I never forgot her fire. It was Melinda's; well Cassie's 29th birthday. Calvin had been getting suspicious of her behavior, and was worried that her cover was blown. At the time we both were working for Irina gathering information about the alliance, and planning on our take over. It was the only time, before the Will Tippin incident that I was spying on CIA agents. I had kept my profile low the whole party, trying to just watch her and Calvin's interactions, and how he reacted to her friends.   
  
After everyone was quiet inebriated, I sat down with Calvin and started talking to him about Cassie. He talked about how he was worried that she was using him, but he didn't go into details. I sat and analyzed him for quiet awhile; it seemed he just thought she was cheating on him. Melinda had just been paranoid. So I was attempting to get out of there, trying to make my presence forgotten when she came over. She was dressed in a little sundress, and came over and ran her hand over Calvin's back and sat down between us.   
  
I figured this was the perfect time to leave, so I got up from my chair, but she caught my arm and made me sit back down. I was undeniably attracted to her, and could not stop staring at her eyes. I knew who she was due to Melinda's debriefs, and became worried that she was on to me. She just smiled and introduced herself, and started to flirt with me. I tired to reason with myself that the only reason I was staying, was to see what information I might be able to get from her. I introduced myself as Joshua, and we sat and talked the rest of the party no words about either of our professions exchanged. She ended up with me at my hotel room. When I woke in the morning she was gone, and that was the last time we ever saw each other, even though I've relived that night a million times in my head.  
  
She's still glaring at me, but she doesn't know what to say, so I decide to see what information I can get from her, "You know you never said goodbye." She doesn't move, though the agent next to her starts glancing from her to me. I turn my eyes on him, it's Eric, he has an emotional interest in her. It's written all over her eyes. I can use this to get one of the two to talk. I lose my smile, and pull my best pout expression "I had to wake up tangled in the sheets without you."   
  
She puckers her lips, and now has anger in her eyes. Eric's shoulders stiffen, but he still stands silent. "Why me?" she growls, her voice full of restraint. I smile; she always was full of fire.   
  
"Why not?"   
  
She moves closer to the glass, fierce passion in her eyes. "Don't be cheeky with me! I deserve answers!"  
  
I shake my head, and move closer to the glass. She takes a step back and gets closer to the other officer. "We were never meant to meet; you and I that is. I was only at that party to see if Melinda's cover had been blown." I give her a devilish smile, "If my memory serves me, you were the one who made me stay. And you invited yourself up to my hotel. So in a way, you are the one who tangled yourself in this mess." Her eyes widen, I now can see that they are blood shot, she's been crying. What have I missed by being locked up in here?  
  
She's not amused at all. I want to know what's going on, but if I ask questions it would ruin the whole Sark mystique. So I wait; patience is a virtue I've always had an abundance of. We are in a dead lock; finally she breaks the silence, "Why Calvin? Why was Cassie sent in?"  
  
She knows Cassie's a double, something hasn't gone right. I pace right up to the glass, this time she moves closer to me. "He just happened to be the easiest target to move in on." I wait for her reaction, none comes, she's better at controlling her emotions than I thought. "We got a list of agents for a double, and we did our research, he was lonely, and Melinda" she raises an eyebrow, "sorry, Cassie was ready for a mission like this, and I think she did extremely well. Don't you?"   
  
"I'm not in the mood for you to be coy." She inches closer to the glass, "Do you understand?" I don't nod I just stare right at her. There is a gorgeous power about her; she is showing all the signs of a woman who has nothing left to lose. So Libya must have been a success, otherwise she wouldn't be here, and wouldn't be looking for answers. "Now I want you to tell me what you know about my appearance here."  
  
"I don't know what you are talking about."   
  
She snaps and starts yelling, "YES YOU DO! You know. Otherwise you would have been surprised at my arrival." Officer Weiss grabs her arm and pulls her back, trying to calm her down. She shrugs her arm away and moves back towards the glass. "You know that Sloane is after you. Your tone suggests it all. You know he is bargaining for your release."   
  
I bring my face as close to the glass as I can; I lower my voice to a whisper. "I know. I asked specifically that you be the one to retrieve me." She's stunned. She takes a deep breath her words are quiet and she speaks slowly, "I will get revenge on you for this."  
  
"Zanna!" Weiss's voice is sharp; she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.  
  
She looks at me once more and then turns around and walks away.  
  
The doors are rattling so I raise my voice, "I'll see you soon love." She doesn't even stop, she just walks away, and I return to my bed. It's only a matter of time now. 


	17. Hotel

Chapter 17 – Hotel  
  
More than 48 hours ago, my world was turned upside down, and it still is spinning. Yet, no longer is it spinning from confusion at the games that Sloane is playing; now it is spinning because of drugs. I'm not sure what cocktail they injected me with but I would rather have had a blow to the head like Sydney. My heart drops, Sydney. Has she even woken up yet? I know it's a matter of time before she starts to follow us, but will they keep me alive? Will Jack actually give up Sark for me?  
  
It's difficult to sit up, but finally I'm able to prop myself up, against a chair. I force my eyes open and lift my head to look around the room. It looks as if I'm in a deep fog, everything is so blurry. I see the outlines of what look like two beds; my best guess is that I'm stuck tied up in a hotel room. Shadows are swirling around me in the fog; there is Cassie and one of her two accomplices. They are speaking but I can't make out any of the words, I only hear mumbles as if I was in a tank of water trying to listen to the outside world.   
  
My stomach gives a quick lurch and I close my eyes again. I've been concentrating too hard and now am horrible nauseous. I lay back on the floor, I feel so lost in the world. Is this what Sydney has gone through so many times? I start to understand why she hunts down Sloane, when in a situation like this all you can think of is getting out of it and returning the favor to your capture. Helplessness consumes me. I'm not a religious man, but for once I'm praying. I'm praying that I will be able to live, that I will be rescued, that there is still time in this life to enjoy with Sydney.  
  
*****  
  
There are low moans coming from the corner, I look over and see that Mr. Vaughn has propped himself up. He looks a lot different than the picture of him in the mission debrief. He looked like a puppy dog in the picture, one that would never bite, but so far he's not let us take him easily. We had to shoot him up with tranquilizers just so he would stop fighting and making a scene. We have been locked up in this hotel room for about two hours, just waiting for information from Sloane.   
  
I walk over to one of the beds and sit down next to Charles, he snakes his arm around my back and starts to rub my lower back. "Are you still sore?" I nod my head; I still haven't been fully recovered since I got rid of the baby; not physical or emotion. I thought I was prepared for anything. When I was first recruited by Irina, I was excited; her plans seemed to make sense to me. I wanted to be part of something that was against the norm. When I finally got a mission that was worth proving myself; I took it. I just never expected these types of consequences for my actions, this type of personal sacrifice.   
  
It was my own move though; Calvin could feel that there was something wrong with our relationship. Despite how hard I tried to convince him that I loved him, he was always suspicious, so I took the ultimate risk, I got pregnant. I didn't love him, he knew it, but seemed to over look that when I was pregnant. He always wanted to be a great father and used to say he would never get a divorce once children where involved. So I exploited that in order to stay in the position I was in. I knew I wouldn't have to keep the baby, I knew this was coming, but it was very important that I stay in the position I was in until the Libya mission went down. I wonder if he finally put the pieces together that I was the traitor before he died?  
  
I pull myself out of my reverie of thought, and walk over to Michael. Charles shakes his head and returns to watching television. Michael's still dazed on the floor, he's muttering to himself. I reach down and grab his cheeks with one hand, and lift his head so that I can look into his eyes. "I'm sorry what did you say?" He tries to wiggle free but he's too sedated to really fight my grip. He just mumbles some more and starts to drool; I've always loved torturing captives. I let go of him in a jerking motion, I walk over to the nightstand and pull a suitcase over to the corner. I place in on the table and open it up removing a small cloth satchel. I open the satchel which reveals six syringes, and a few different bottles of clear liquid.   
  
"Now Mr. Vaughn, I have here quite a few different drugs; all meant to extract information from people. I'll start with the lightest and work my way up until I get my answers." I pull out the mildest one and fill the smallest syringe. Mr. Vaughn simply sits there trying to move his muscles to protest, but the sedative keeps him where he is. I reach down and inject the serum into him, he barely moves and seems not to even really notice it. "Mr. Vaughn, why didn't Zanna come to Virginia? Why were you sent?" He seems to ignore me, like he can't hear; it could be the drugs, so I just let him sit there. "It's only a matter of time, only a matter of time." 


	18. The Car Ride

Chapter 18 – The Car Ride  
  
She's been dead silent the whole way back to my office. I don't know what to say or do, so I just stand beside her, silent, just there for her. We come back to the office floor, and I walk towards my office but she passes right by it and heads for Jack's office. I take a quick step back and turn around to follow her to his office. In three quick steps I'm back to walking beside her.   
  
She opens Jack's door and doesn't even knock. I feel uneasy, Jack always makes me feel uneasy and now she's just waltzing in there, I think I need to explain the rules of Jack sometime to her. Jack looks up from a pile of papers on his desk, irritation in his eyes. "Can I help you Miss Adurea?"  
  
She walks right in and just sits down in one of the office chairs. "I know Sark." She speaks the words with utter disgust in her voice.  
  
Jack doesn't look shocked, "And how do you know Mr. Sark?"  
  
"I met him about two years ago. It was just once. He was posing as a friend of Cassie's. It was her 29th birthday, and he showed up at the party. That was the only time I've ever met him." He voice is flat, devoid of any emotion.  
  
Jack studies her for a moment, and then asks "He knew you were coming. He seems to know you better than that."  
  
Zanna nods and takes a few moments deciding what to say. "I know he knew I was coming. He said he asked Sloane that I be the one to retrieve him." She's holding back information, she's not telling him the full extent of that night; Jack knows it too.  
  
"But why did Sark specifically choose you?" Jack looks at my face and seems already to know the answer. Zanna drops her head; she doesn't want to tell him. She doesn't want to verbally admit that she slept with the enemy. Her body language screams the truth though, and Jack moves on. "Sydney will be arriving back tonight; I need to talk with her about every detail that went down in Virginia. Go back to the safe house and get a good-nights rest, tomorrow morning we will start to work out a mission plan on the exchange of Sark for Vaughn." I'm shocked; Jack isn't always this compassionate, especially when it concerns giving information up for the enemy. Yet, Sydney's emotions are involved in this one, one of Jack's two weaknesses.   
  
Zanna's amazed by the situation too, "You are going to release Sark?" Jack nods. She doesn't understand; bewilderment and irritation fill her voice. "There are still so many questions here, and you are giving up our one answer! This has been plotted for months, maybe a year, and you're"  
  
Jack interrupts her, he uses his calm and steely voice "I'm fully aware of the situation Miss Adurea. I'm aware of what we have and what they have. Now if you would please go to the safe house, I need to talk to Sydney." Jack stares blankly at her, daring her to defy him again.   
  
She gets up, "I'll be here seven o'clock; sharp." She turns to me, eyes pleading to take her away right now. I open the door and let her exit first and then follow her.   
  
I open her door and she clumsily climbs into the car. I suppress my smile; I know she completely exhausted, but even when she's a mess there is a grace to her that I can't help but be attracted to. No! I can't think these thoughts. She needs me as a friend right now, nothing more. Look where it's gotten Vaughn. Look where it's gotten Sydney. I climb into the passenger side and start the car.  
  
"Eric?" she purrs the word quietly.  
  
"Hum…" I respond still trying to contain my emotions and reason with them.  
  
"You haven't asked me what all went on with Sark."   
  
I'm caught off-guard. "I know. I just didn't think it was my place." In reality I was trying not to think about it. She shared intimacy with a man that I have come to despise, a man that I know as pure evil. I don't want to know her relationship with him; I fear it will taint my perception of her.   
  
Silence engulfs the car. She just sits there, and I just drive ahead. "It was nothing. I was drunk and he was charming. I was conflicted and I needed something that night and I just happened to find it in him. Yet, it wasn't Sark who I found comfort in, it was another lie; a lie by the name of Joshua. One of many that are haunting me at this moment; one that cost me everything." The words just continue to pour from her lips as steady as the tears from her eyes. She needs to talk, she needs to get it all our. So I sit and listen. "Eric, what am I meant to believe, I think I've lost all faith in everything. I don't care that they are giving the bad guy away. I'm just being selfish because they are giving away the one man who has the answers that can heal me." Her voice cracks and she stops talking, she's trying to pull herself back together.  
  
I pull over the car, and turn towards her, "Do you really believe that. Have you really lost faith in everything? That's a pretty bold statement." She drops her head, so I stop talking I don't want to be the one scolding her, that's not what I want.  
  
She exhales and then turns towards me, "How would you feel after this? After being used as a pawn for years, by two people that you had a connection with; after losing the one person that was the reality in your life. How would you feel?"  
  
"I don't know." I'm silent now too, then the words suddenly come to me. "There was truth in your life, there's truth in your life now. It may have destroyed some of your memories, but don't let it destroy you. We live in a dark world, and to let it taint you will let the enemy ultimately win. You are a good person; in the café I saw it in you." I'm confessing more than I want to, but the look of appreciation in her eyes keeps me going. "In the simple conversation we had; in your eyes; in the simple kiss on the cheek; in everything that you are." I'm interrupted by her sudden movement and her lips touching mine. I'm shocked, and confused, is this going to be like the one night she spent with Sark, and them am I going to wake up tangled in the sheets alone again?   
  
I'm thinking too much again, and she notices, she pulls back, "I'm sorry… I just…" she's flustered for words. "I thought you thought… I…" I rescue her by forcing my lips to hers more firmly, and pulling her closer. Trying to communicate the attraction I've had for her since the beginning.   
  
We sit there like two high school kids, exchanging passionate kisses at the drive-through. Her kisses are wonderful, I feel like I need her now more than she may need me. Finally we both pull back, and stare up into each other's eyes, there is no regret in either of our eyes, but we both know this can not be. Not now, not like this. We both give awkward smiles and I start the car again.  
  
"Eric?"  
  
"Hum?"  
  
"This is not like with Joshua; well this is not like with Sark...it's just not right at this moment. It would be selfish."   
  
I'm astonished, and almost embarrassed that she read my emotions so well. "I didn't think you were using me… I mean I know this isn't the right… I just…"   
  
She reaches over and grabs my hand and kisses the palm, then closes my hand around the kiss and returns it to me. We don't need words anymore, we both just understand. Right now there is something more important going on in the world, something that is bigger than our attraction to each other; we are just going to have to wait. 


	19. Plans

Chapter 19 – Plans  
  
I fish through my purse for the key and the piece of paper with the address on it. I feel so empty; this is the first night in months without Vaughn. I'm almost tempted to just go stay at his house, to be surrounded by his smell, to close my eyes and pretend that he is still with me. I can't wait five days for the trade off, I need Vaughn now. I end up pulling the picture I stole from Cassie's house. There he is, as if it was a hint at what was to come, if only someone would have noticed him, Vaughn would be with me. I smash the picture back into my purse and dig deeper, I finally feel the paper and the set of keys.   
  
I pull them out and read the address, then slip them into my pocket. I don't know what to do, should I go see Dad, and wait for Vaughn or go rogue. I don't even know what they are doing to Vaughn that's the worse part. I know they must keep him alive, for he is their only bargaining tool, but that doesn't mean he's comfortable. I flash back to when I was captured by Sloane, Michael and Dixon where there as fast as they could be, is it fair for me to make him wait five days. I get into the car and start driving away from the airport, still trying to make-up my mind as to what to do.  
  
*****  
  
She just sits and stares at me, watching me, waiting for me to give her information. She's going to have to wait a long time. I'm practically paralyzed in my spot from a mixture of sedatives and the new drugs she's inducing into my system. I know Sydney will come; I just have to wait it out.   
  
Cassie moves the pouch of needles and drugs back on to her lap. I try to slip into my memories, detach myself from this situation, yet something is keeping me in the present, the pain. I feel another needle slip into my skin and a hot rush of liquid is added to my blood. Slowly the agony is intensifying in my muscles, they feel like someone is slowly pulling them apart, shredding them piece by piece. "Now, Mr. Vaughn. What happened to Zanna?" I drop my head down, trying not to scream. I just sit there trying my best to not look at her, not to let her win.  
  
She swoops her head down and looks me straight in the eyes; I turn my head away. "Mr. Vaughn, what seems to be the matter? I'm only asking a few simple questions. It would be for your benefit if you would simply divulge the information to me, then I could stop all this torture." She pats the bag of needles.  
  
I have a million words I want to yell at her right now, all of them words that I would never use in church. The sedative is wearying off, but the new drugs are just as effect at making my muscles use less. I lift up my head and just stare into her eyes, my skin begins to crawl. It's as if looking into a corpse, she's completely dead on the inside.   
  
I try to speak, but it feels as if my throat is closed. I close my mouth, and try again, still no sound escapes. Cassie notices my attempts to speak, "Charles, get some water!" The large shadow moves in the background, leaving my vision, and then returning, handing her a plastic cup of water. She tilts the glass to my lips, and water begins to pour. I'm able to swallow about half of it; the rest follows down the corner of my mouth and on to my shirt. I try to speak again, and random sounds come out.   
  
I roll my tongue around in my mouth a bit and try again, "Why are you so concerned about Zanna?"  
  
She cocks her head to the side, and gives a chilling laugh, "Mr. Vaughn, I don't think you have the power to ask the questions right now." She sits there for a second and contemplates my request, "I'll tell you what. I'll answer your question if you answer mine first."  
  
A deep boom comes from the other man, "Mel, I'm not sure you should do that."  
  
She whips her head around and barks back, "I'm the one in charge here; I think I know what I can and can not do." The other man backs down and returns to watching the TV. She turns her head back to me, "Now, Mr. Vaughn do we have a deal?"  
  
*****  
  
Sydney's flight returned to LA almost an hour and a half ago and still I haven't heard from her. I pace my office, debating if I should call her or not, when the phone rings. I urgently pick it up. "Jack Bristow."  
  
"Dad, there's an envelope waiting for you in Vaughn's office. It contains the card that Cassie left me. I'm going after Vaughn."   
  
My heartbeat quickens, "SYDNEY!" but the lines dead. She's already hung up on me. I could call her back, but she won't respond I know her to well.   
  
I storm out of my office, and down the empty hall towards Vaughn's office. I didn't even hear her come in. I always hear people come through here. I pick up the manila envelope. She's written 'sorry' across it. I open it up and pull the card out and read it.  
  
This is suicide. What is she thinking? She's not thinking that's the answer. I wander back into my office, how is she even going to track down Vaughn? Will. 


	20. Will Tippin

Chapter 20 – Will Tippin  
  
I pull off my glasses and rub my eyes. I've been on the computer for almost ten hours, even since Sydney called me. She rambled off some address in Mexico, and asked me to pull up any ties that I can trace to Sloane. So far there's been nothing; it's a simple work factory for an American company specializing in the making of televisions. There's not one suspicious think in the last five years that I can find; well other than the massive firing of employees after a strike, but still.  
  
I finally get up from my desk and walk around a bit; I still can't sit for long periods of time with out having pains in my stomach. I try focusing on the compound in Mexico again; anything but the scars, the constant reminder of betrayal. Why is Sydney interested in this place? There is nothing there. My phone starts ringing; I walk over to my desk and pick it up, "Will Tippin."  
  
"Will it's Syd." I pick up on her mood immediately. She speaks as if she's in a rush to get somewhere.  
  
"Hey, what's wrong?"  
  
"Where are you?"  
  
"I'm at the CIA, I've been looking up"  
  
She interrupts me. "Will has my Dad talked to you?"  
  
I'm confused, "Huh, oh no. Syd, seriously what's going on?" I'm pacing my office now, there's something going on and she's not telling me.  
  
"Will, I need you to do me a big favor. This conversation never happened, understand. Don't tell anyone who have talked to me." There's lots of noise in the background, she messing around with something.  
  
"Yeah, sure. What's up?" I'm trying to remain calm but the circumstances are freaking me out.  
  
"Will I need you to look up someone for me, an agent of Sloane, her alias has been Cassie Trager. I asked you to look up that compound in Mexico, because it was believed that Sloane had her imprisoned there."  
  
"Syd," I interrupt her "There is nothing there, it's just a factory, no ties to any illegal activities."  
  
"Will I know that now," she's speaking really fast her words almost blurring into each other. "I went to McLean Virginia to check-out the place where she was supposedly captured from, to find it a trap. She's working with Sloane. Two days ago an agent from London ended up mysteriously in LA, with a message from Sloane. To make a long story short, this Cassie Trager was married to a CIA agent, Calvin Trager. Sloane is asking for Sark back, and staged a kidnapping of Cassie. He was expecting the agent he dropped off in London to come to the house, but instead it was Vaughn and I. They now have Vaughn, and the CIA is meant to meet up with them in about four days for a trade-off." She has to pause for a moment for breath so I break in again.  
  
I know what she's up to; if they have Vaughn she's going to get him. She did the same thing for me a few years back. "Syd. Syd. I'll help you. Of coarse I'll help you."  
  
"Thank you Will. I need you to try to find out any places that she made frequent contact within the past year; she had to be getting orders from someone. Any number dialed more than once, any frequent e-mails, anything."  
  
"I know what to look for. I have done this before." I wish she was here; she seems to be in a fit. She needs to calm down, before she does something stupid. I don't need to lose her too. I don't need to be alone in this world.  
  
"I know. I'm sorry. I'm just" I hear a phone ringing in the background. "Will I got to go. Not a word to anyone, especially my father." She's panicked. Her voice is lowered to a whisper now, "I'll call you as soon as I can to see what you got. Don't call me."  
  
"Yeah, okay. Syd, you better come back to me."   
  
I hear her take a quick breath, "I will." With that she hangs up on me. I return to my computer, adrenaline rushing through my body, giving me a second wind. I only hope this search ends with more info than the last one. 


	21. Don't Worry

Chapter 21 – Don't Worry  
  
We pull up to the safe house, both tense, both worrying about what's to come, both not talking about it. Eric follows me to the door, even though I didn't ask him too. There are no CIA agents on the look-out; I assume that since I'm now working for the LA division I've finally been deemed trust worthy.   
  
We reach the door, and since there is no one looking I grab him and draw him close and give him a huge hug. I don't want him to leave, I want time to stop, and I want time to breath. I can feel his heart racing on my chest, and his arms draw around me tighter. I whisper into his ear, "Don't go yet. Please." He looks down at me and right then my stomach decides to give a huge growl.   
  
We both laugh, and Eric pulls out his set of keys and opens the door. "You haven't eaten all day, come on, I'll see what I can make for dinner here." I squeeze past him into the house, and grab his hand and pull him in and drag him to the kitchen. "You must be really hungry?" I turn the corner and stop dead; Eric bumps into me. "I didn't mean it in a bad…" he sees her too and his words trail off. "Sydney? What are you doing here?"  
  
I stand in the spot, the world spins again. The joy of the last few hours is gone, I feel like I've just slipped back into a nightmare, but this is reality, so does that make the last few hours a dream. Eric pushes me lightly into the kitchen, and I go right to the cupboards, I don't want to talk to her. Not right now, not after my fears for Cassie have cost her so much. I rumble through them just to find a few different cans of soup.   
  
Eric goes and sits down at the table, taking one of Sydney's hands into his own, "What's the news on Vaughn?" The tone of Eric's voice makes my heart drop; I didn't know he was so close to Vaughn. Why didn't he say something, why didn't he tell me about his stake in this case too? I quickly open the soup and pour it into a bowl and toss it in the microwave and take a seat at the table. Sydney takes a deep breath, and tells us the play by play of what happened in Virginia. I can see tears rise in her eyes when she speaks of her last few moments with Vaughn. She takes a deep breath, and I glace over to Eric, he has tears pressing against his eyes too, but he's trying to keep it together for Sydney. "So they are asking that Sark be traded for Vaughn in five days in Atlanta." Sydney bites her lower lip and looks away from us.  
  
Eric clears his throat, "So I assume you are here so that we can cover your ass, with your father tomorrow for your disappearing tonight to go get Vaughn early."  
  
Sydney shakes her head in agreement, "Zanna I need you to try to remember any place that Cassie slipped off to a lot. Or any odd phone calls they received while you were there or anything that would suggest that she was meeting up with someone for meetings."  
  
I drop my head and close my eyes, trying to remember the time when Calvin thought she was cheating on him; trying to remember all of his evidence of it. The thoughts are so painful, and I try to separate myself from the attachment, but I can't. I slip into the memory, wrapping it around me. It was a cold evening, and Calvin had asked that I meet him at our favorite coffee shop. I was running late, and ended up getting there about an hour late, and as soon as I got there I felt guilty. Calvin was a mess, Cassie had been gone a lot in the evenings and he was worried that she had moved on. Where had he said she was going to? Why can't I remember! "Sydney, I… I can't remember." She reaches in her purse and slides a photo so that when I open my eyes I see it.   
  
She has her photo pointing to one of the men in the picture, and I know immediately what she's thinking, "Did she meet often with this man?" She's pointing to Joshua; to Sark.   
  
I look up and catch Eric giving her a look asking her to stop questioning me on him. He's cheeks burn and he gets up and goes to get the soup from the microwave. "I don't know if he was her contact, but I wouldn't doubt that they met on a few occasions. This was the only night I ever met him, but I know it's because of that night I'm in this mess." Eric comes back and lays the soup down on the table, and starts to rub my back. I want to stop all of this as soon as I can. Why can't I remember where she was going? Why was Calvin suspicious? Why didn't I catch on to her sooner?   
  
Sydney backs off, and turns to Eric, "Why weren't there any agents on watch?"  
  
"Zanna has been transferred into the LA unit, so I'm assuming Jack took away the tails."  
  
"I thought it was going to be a lot tougher coming here to talk to you than it was." Sydney looks at me, but doesn't say anything.   
  
Eric pulls away from me, and turns to Sydney, "You need to be careful. Now that Sloane has Vaughn he knows you aren't going to wait around."  
  
"They won't catch me!"  
  
"Sydney, all we need is to trade Sark for Vaughn and not have you. How will I explain that to Vaughn?"  
  
"We need Vaughn now. We don't need to wait and play Sloane's game!" Sydney is getting distressed. Eric doesn't know what to do, he opens his mouth to apologize but is cut off, "I need to get out of here soon, I'm sure Dad will come looking for me here. I'll try to make contact with you if possible. If not, I'll see you in five days in Atlanta." Sydney pauses looking at me, she upset that she has nothing to go on, and I can see she blames me.   
  
Why can't I remember? I'm letting everyone down, I'm the one who should know this, and I can't remember. "Sydney…" I don't know how to formulate my thoughts, "I… I…" Why can't I remember! Eric grabs my hand, and rubs the top of my hand with his thumb. It's so calming, my mind stops panicking for a second and I seem to reach clarity. "The Brown Bear!" Eric jumps at my exclamation. "She used to go to The Brown Bear all the time, that's why Calvin thought she was having an affair."  
  
Sydney sits back down, "What is The Brown Bear?"  
  
"It's this little coffee shop, Cassie always went there to play piano on open stage night, which just happened to be the same night Calvin would have poker, so he never really went. That has to be her contact, that's the only thing that she never missed, even when she had mono, she made sure she went there." I reach for a piece of paper, and write the address of it on the paper, and slide it too Sydney, "Here." She takes the piece of paper and gets up to leave.  
  
"Thank you." She turns to Eric and gives him a big hug, "You know I can't just leave Vaughn there."   
  
Eric nods his head, "I know, but I don't want to lose you either." Sydney nods, and pulls away; she extends her hand to me. We have an awkward shake and she says goodnight and leaves.   
  
I turn back to Eric, he's stressed, he takes a seat back at the kitchen table and starts to rub his neck. I move closer and remove his hands and rub his neck for him. "We'll see her and Vaughn again."   
  
Eric moves his hands on top of mine, "I'm just not so sure… I'm just not so sure." 


End file.
